Ste Duckett - composer & arranger

To mark November 11th here is my rendition of George Thalben Ball's 'Elegy', which began life as an improvisation on the radio during World War 2. It was popularly received and Thalben Ball then wrote it out. (For the beady eyed, no, I'm NOT playing without socks on! It just looks like I am due to the sock colour!) I like use to it for funerals and, where possible, I'm keen to use the full power of the instrument.
https://youtu.be/bFlhSFBvk2E

ELEGY, George Thalben-Ball This is one of my favourite pieces, and I used to enjoy playing it at Blenheim Palace when I was organs curator there. Unfortunately, the big Trumpet is too ...

I hope you enjoy this, my arrangement of an Office hymn. I recorded it during practice time at a monastery in England. I hope you enjoy the 32' pedal Reed on the last note 💣 https://youtu.be/S8xk4Qs0IVU

Divine Office Hymn: O Joy imparting light I used to play this hymn as that of first vespers for ferial sundays, at an Irish monastic house. The hymn in my opinion is very under-chosen for congregatio...

Here's a hymn with a fun last verse. Hope you enjoy it! https://youtu.be/QDGd-mIqyz8

Hymn tune: TWO OAKS - arr. Ste Duckett - with last verse (All are welcome) I hadn't played this hymn before I arrived in Scotland and, since then, it's been asked for quite a few times. I think the melody is very singable and I've t...

This little organ Prelude was written a few years ago and is very loosely based on some of the material from the Solemn 'Salve Regina' antiphon. Its now available in my sheet music shop for just £3.99. Once you've clicked the link, you'll find another link to listen to the prelude on YouTube. https://www.calligift.com/organ-repertoire/prelude-on-the-solemn-salve-regina-ste-duckett-2016

Prelude on the Solemn Salve regina - Ste Duckett 2016 — DUCKETT CALLIGRAPHY A short Prelude on the Solemn Salve regina for organ, using little of the actual melody but hinting at the shape of some of the antiphon’s melodic line. Written in 2016. Would you like to listen before you buy? Please click this link to my performance of the Prelude on my YouTube channel: https:

MISSA DE ANGELIS
Following maintenance, my website is now up and running again. It is the gateway to my main business as a calligrapher, but there's also a section dedicated to my music. Click the link to take you to the Missa de angelis arrangement which is now for sale as a downloadable sheet music link in my store! https://www.calligift.com/mass-settings

Mass settings — DUCKETT CALLIGRAPHY

My website is down for maintenance and facelift. I'll be relaunching it on Wednesday. You'll then be able to find the accompaniment to the Missa de angelis available as a digital download for just £1.99, as well as other original arrangements and music.

One of my many hymn arrangements is this one, The Lord of the dance, which I wrote when I lived in Ireland. I've even worn a yellow jacket to get the most out of those Easter vibes! Some of the mid verses are lots of fun to play. Enjoy! https://youtu.be/ewdN3QdQz-M

The Lord of the Dance (arr. Duckett) Words below... Singularly unimpressed with the arrangement in the hymn book, I wrote a more interesting arrangement of this popular hymn, taking into account...

The sheet music for my Prelude on 'Let all mortal flesh keep silence' is now available for digital download! Click the link to purchase and listen! https://www.calligift.com/organ-repertoire/prelude-on-picardy

Prelude on 'Picardy' — DUCKETT CALLIGRAPHY A reflective Prelude based on the hymn tune ‘Let all mortal flesh keep silence’ (Picardy). Rather than representing the tune itself, the Prelude places it into a major key and follows its shape throughout the short piece. You can hear a performance of this Prelude (by the composer) via this link...

All four parts of my Missa de angelis arrangement are now recorded and available to hear via the following link: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8T1ed_kTvn4THfymbcGGOU4t1yHoMb3F The sheet music will be available for download via my online shop from 1st August 2021. It was written in 3-stave organ format whilst I lived as a monk and director of music in an Irish monastery, where it was regularly used at High Mass. A second arrangement in 2-stave (left and right hand only) will follow later this year.

One of my more popular hymn arrangements on YouTube is this beauty: HEREFORD, which includes a fun mid verse. The sheet music will be available from 1st August 2021 on my website.
https://youtu.be/2D1k_T1YebA

O Thou Who Camest From Above: HEREFORD (arr. Duckett) This is my own three-verse harmonisation of Hereford, one of my favourite hymns. I wrote it in 2006 at tiny little organ console of Blenheim Palace's Chapel ...

There's a new page on my website dedicated to music liturgy papers. I've just uploaded a 5000-word paper entitled 'Chant accompaniment - Practical guidelines and reflections from a monastic perspective'. I wrote it in 2014 whilst working as a residential DoM in a monastery, and I hope you will find it interesting and useful. All papers are for sale as downloads, but all are under £1. This one is 99p. Please help to support my creative work by purchasing any paper you may be interested in as I upload them. Thank you. https://www.calligift.com/music-liturgy-papers

Music liturgy papers — DUCKETT CALLIGRAPHY This page is dedicated to my talks, articles and reflections on music liturgy. Each paper can be purchased as a download.

One of my favourite David Johnson Trumpet tunes is the C major one. I recorded it 8 months ago on the lovely organ at Wellesley Parish Church in Fife. Have a listen! https://youtu.be/hggU14lKbDo

Trumpet Tune in C - David N Johnson It's a dark, foggy night here in coastal Scotland and it thought I'd go to Church to play something American and jubilant, given the election forecast. This ...

This is my Prelude on the Solemn Salve Regina, written some years ago but recorded only yesterday using my Zoom H5 and Shure SM57 mic. The theme is almost completely absent, but I have used some of the 'shape' of the melody as inspiration, especially at the beginning. It uses the full scope of the organ and is fun to play. As ever, I've hand-registered throughout, so please forgive and quiet 'clunk' sounds! Please take a look at my YouTube channel and support me by following! (Best heard through decent speakers or headphones.) https://youtu.be/6PU2plVKHFg

Prelude on the solemn Salve Regina - by Ste Duckett, 2011. I wrote this prelude whilst living as a Cistercian monk in the UK. It includes slight, occasional references to the Solemn Salve regina antiphon. This music ...

Why is nearly every organ console in the world home to unusable pencils - and pens that don't work?!? The only usable ones are lost down the pedalboard! Time to go to the stationery shop, methinks.

One of the many Mass settings I used to accompany at the monastery was the Missa de angelis. Here's my arrangement of the Kyrie, the first recording to make up the entire Mass setting on my YouTube channel. It includes my usual trademark accompaniment harmonies which I hope give the sense of a cohesive journey (as opposed to a non-descript succession of chords as one often hears in accompaniment), and with all of the rhythmic stresses where they should be. You will be able to purchase this arrangement from 1st August 2021 in my sheet music shop.
https://youtu.be/BsP7TETM9NY

Missa de angelis KYRIE arr. Ste Duckett 2021 Purchase a download to this sheet music (from August 1st, 2021) in my sheet music shop: www.calligift.com

As promised, I recorded my short Prelude on Picardy (let all mortal flesh) late last night and you can listen to it here (best heard through good speakers or headphones). The sheet music will be for sale (in download format) by 1st August 2021 in my sheet music shop: https://www.calligift.com/organ-repertoire
https://youtu.be/6ckG2g_tUD4

prelude on PICARDY hymn tune - Ste Duckett 2021 The sheet music of this Prelude will be available for download from 1st August 2021 on my sheet music shop: https://www.calligift.com/organ-repertoire

One of the many organ compositions I've had on the back burner for the last few years is a set of variations on the 'Tantum Ergo'. Here's a sneak preview of the 'round' variation from this set, spoken on a thoroughly beautiful 4' flute stop. The music is accompanied by a hand-lettered Tantum Ergo written in my calligraphy studio (the day job). Enjoy. (Best sound is with good speakers or headphones.) https://youtu.be/E7aDz5tkRVY

Tantum Ergo project Turn sound up! One of my favourite chant projects was this Tantum Ergo, complete with a colourful triangle border and a 22ct gold leading letter T. It now li...

It's an amazing thing! Last night I stumbled across a handwritten prelude on the hymn 'Let all mortal flesh' which I wrote when I was playing the organ at the Birmingham Oratory for Sunday Roman Vespers back around 2014. I completely forgot I wrote it! In fact, it began as an improvisation for the Elevation at Benediction, with a climax as the Host is raised. I since made it into a prelude. Playing through it today was a strange experience as though coming to it afresh. Later tonight I'll write it up and pop to Church to record it for you to hear. It will soon be available for purchase on my online sheet music shop. www.calligift.com

One of the many projects I'm working on is a full organ arrangement of the Missa de angelis Mass setting. Once completed, it'll be uploaded to my sheet music shop.

Crimond is the name of the hymn tune 'The Lord's my shepherd'. I hope you enjoy my arrangement of the hymn for three-stave organ, which features a fun last verse. If you're an organist you may like to purchase the sheet music which is available on my website as a download. Just go to the YouTube video description where there's a link to purchase. https://youtu.be/1q-V5ooPRHs

Hymn tune: CRIMOND - arr. Ste Duckett - with last verse My arrangement of CRIMOND includes three verse harmonizations: a regular verse, a counter melody / tune together, and a last verse. Purchase the sheet music ...

Welcome to my page dedicated to the production of organ arrangements and compositions. Whilst my full time work is as a calligrapher, I've been an organist since the age of fifteen and am active as an arranger and composer. Most notably, I have a passion for hymnody and the accompaniment of chant and psalmody, all of which is a reflection of my life to date. So, I'm making this separate page, dedicated to my musicianship. I am steadily making my sheet music available for download. For now, I'll leave you with my arrangement of the traditional hymn tune ST COLUMBA, which includes a lovely last verse. https://youtu.be/31fo_aAAstU

Hymn tune: ST COLUMBA - arr. Ste Duckett - with last verse Some of my favourite hymns are the traditional folk tunes. This one I used to play when I was an organist in England, and I arranged it in 2011. It consists ...